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PENNINK WINS
THE WORLD SERIES
Championship Title To
Ryan Preece..byPolly Reid

With
a pass for the lead with seventeen laps to go, Rowan Pennink of Huntingdon
Valley, PA pulled away from the pack and never looked back to do what
everyone wants to do in the last race of the season, make a trip to victory
lane.

Pennink held a convincing lead over Donny Lia, Ryan Preece, Bobby Santos and
Ron Silk to score his second career NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour win in the
Sunoco World Series 150 presented by Xtra Mart at Thompson International
Speedway.

Ryan Preece, a threat for the win all day, crossed the line third to claim
the coveted NWMT Championship title.

“We’ve had so many good cars racing here but pit strategy and cautions never
fell our way but today we pitted a little earlier than some people and it
finally fell right for us today,” said Pennink whose 93 Monk Mechanics Hand
Cleaner sponsored Chevrolet is owned by his dad Mark with Don Barker as the
crew chief. “We had a great pit stop, was able to get out in front of a
bunch of people and bring this thing into victory lane.”

Pennink took the green 3rd but by the 15th circuit, was shadowing the
leader, Coors Light Pole Award winner Bobby Santos. A restart after lap 42,
Pennink was passed by Matt Hirschman then Mike Stefanik and Preece, the Monk
Mechanic Hand Cleaner sponsored Chevrolet shuffled back to fifth by lap 45.
As Matt Hirschman took the lead on lap 67, the caution waved for a spin in
turns one and two. The majority of the field pitted including Pennink,
Preece and leader Hirschman. Santos, who stayed out, inherited the lead and
lined up with Stefanik, Ted Christopher, Eric Goodale and Doug Coby the top
five.

The fresh tires began to prevail as Preece passed for second on lap 84, his
sights on Santos leading. Preece made his move taking over the top spot on
lap 93. The soon to be crowned champion led for the next thirty one
circuits.

By lap 100, Preece continued to lead with Santos, Pennink, Ron Silk and
Donny Lia the top five. A total of ten cautions kept the field close, every
restart sort of jumbled the field as some cars moved forward, some back.
Pennink settled into fourth behind Preece, Lia and Silk up to the caution on
lap 120. With 30 to go, the restart had Lia passing Preece for the top spot.
Pennink made his move for third then second by lap 128. Making his move low
heading into turns three and four, Pennink got by Lia to become the newest
and final leader on lap 133.

Lia and Preece settled the podium in the closing circuits while after a late
pit stop Santos powered through the field for fourth and Ron Silk who
started the Sunoco 150 dead last, crossed for fifth.

Donny Lia in the Bob Garbarino owned Dodge led several laps in the final
third of the Sunoco 150 and after a hard battle with Preece finished second.

“We were just really, really tight at the end. It was worse out front,
better when I was behind cars. Rowan was just too good at the end and we
were struggling tight. We’ve been good even when we’re not good. We were a
little bit off tonight and we still were able to contend for the win. The
last half of the year, we’ve been good. Hopefully this continues on the next
season.” Lia ends the 2013 season third in points.
Ron Silk of Norwalk, CT qualified his TS Haulers/Calverton Tree Farm
Chevrolet 18th. But after time trials, the call was made to swap out
engines. The call put Silk in the Ed Partridge ride dead last on the initial
start but the effort by the Grasso’s and team was spot on as Silk was able
to make his way through the pack and finish the World Series fifth.

“It was a good way to end. To start last and to be up in contention, it was
good,” said Silk. “I wasn’t quite sure after practice and I didn’t think we
had enough time before time trials,” said Silk about the decision to change
the engine. “But during qualifying, I’m not sure, but something wasn’t
right. The guys worked yesterday afternoon, put in another motor – it was at
least worth the effort. This is probably my favorite motor, I knew after two
or three laps we were in pretty good shape. Ted was behind me- we were kind
of working together, passing a lot of cars together. We were a little free
the first run, made a small adjustment at the pit stop and went a little
over, ended up a little tight to race those guys. But it was a good day- we
started last, finished fifth, it was good. Today was back to where you
expect this car to run.”

Max Zachem of Preston, CT making his NWMT debut in the Mike Smeriglio team
car finished sixth with Matt Hirschman seventh. Doug Coby, defending his
title, rallied from early problems including being a lap down to finish a
solid eighth, Todd Szegedy ninth and Justin Bonsignore tenth.

“As a lot of people know, this is my favorite track,” said Pennink. “We
always run good here whatever we’re in. With the 93, things have not fell
right for us with late race cautions while we had a big lead, when we
flipped here a couple of weeks ago running in the top three. Finally things
fell the right way for us today. Once I got in the lead I was able to run
away a little bit, cautions didn’t come out- we made it to victory lane.”
Pennink pulled off a second place finish the night before in the VMRS and
was crowned the 2013 VMRS Champion. “We’ve won a bunch of races here in the
25 car but its real special to get one in the 93 here, especially on World
Series weekend. This has got to be the best racing weekend of my career so
far. Hopefully we can build off of this and keep the wins coming a little
more often.”

“It was awesome,” said car owner Mark Pennink who was savoring the win with
his wife Janice. “I know how hard Rowan works. As a family, we’re very happy
for him. There are not very many family teams doing this and to be a
successful family team is really, really hard and rare. Most of these kids
are driving for other car owners. Rowan builds them, works on them, tows
them- repairs them when they go upside down and races them. Rowan is really
good here, he has been strong here, just hasn’t had the luck.” That changed
today.

The World Series lived up to its billing. For those in attendance, they
witnessed a season finale that was full of hard racing and a celebration in
victory lane with Pennink earning a win at a track that he loves but has not
had the luck and a championship title awarded to the youngest driver ever in
the history of the NWMT. More to come on Preece and his championship run
here on The Chrome Horn, for now, it turns to rebuilding and preparing for
the Icebreaker April 6, 2014.